First professional sand sculpture forum in Lattakia, new venture in Syrian art scene

Lattakia, SANA – The first professional sand sculpture forum currently being held in Lattakia is a new venture in the art scene in Syria, an idea with both artistic and tourist elements that seeks to show that even under the current circumstances, Syrians continue to find new outlets for their creativity.

Founder of the forum, artist Ali al-Sheikh, said sand sculpture events are held across the world on annual basis, and that hopefully this forum will be the first step towards a new artistic tradition that would last for a long time.

Sand sculpture 2

Al-Sheikh said he proposed this idea to sculptor Mustafa Ali who encouraged him, and the two formed a committee with sculptor Ali Moalla, Zakariya Hamwi, and head of Enmaa Tourist Association Sahar Hmaisheh, and they picked the marina in Lattakia at the site of the event.

He said the committee picked ten sculptors from across Syria to participate in the event, and the Tourism Ministry provided their accommodations for the duration of the forum, adding that the event will be held on annual basis in the future, with plans to host international artists in coming events.

The artists who participated in the event have experience in working with sand, and employed professional techniques in their work, creating works from beach sand that would last for a long time.

Children will also participate in workshops to teach them how to make sand sculptures, and the event will conclude on August 15th with an open-invitation showcase of the sculptures created by the participants.

Hazem Sabbagh

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